PRESS DIGEST- British Business - July 2

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July 2 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

Trade union leaders and the government have welcomed a merger between Tata Steel and Thyssenkrupp, claiming it will protect thousands of jobs in Wales for years and generate millions of pounds in investment. bit.ly/2KzJNB2

Hammerson Plc has drafted in global management consultant McKinsey & Company as the shopping centre owner prepares to launch a strategy to shareholders next month. bit.ly/2Kzfx9r

The Guardian

The operators of the troubled Thameslink train line may be stripped of their franchise should a revised, emergency timetable fail to stem cancellations, according to a government source. bit.ly/2KoXvYh

The Telegraph

Persimmon Plc is set to fuel further anger over its pay this week as the house builder splits a 300 million pound ($396.15 million) bonus between 130 staff. bit.ly/2KG5bVq

Stobart Group Ltd's former boss Andrew Tinkler has warned a Guernsey-based trustee company that he will take legal action if it tries to swing a crunch vote in chairman Iain Ferguson's favour. bit.ly/2KB8pJy

Sky News

The UK could remain in key elements of the EU beyond the end of 2020 through an extension of the planned Brexit transition period, a top minister has suggested. Business Secretary Greg Clark claimed the government would need to be "guided by the evidence" when it comes to determining the point Britain moves away from the status quo of EU membership. bit.ly/2KrIdBK

TalkTalk founder Charles Dunstone used an 11 pct slump in TalkTalk shares on Friday to mop up another 750,000 pounds-worth of stock. bit.ly/2IIDRAt

The Independent

Growth in UK financial services has weakened with little sign of improvement on the horizon thanks to ongoing uncertainty around Brexit negotiations and slow wage rises holding back the economy, a new survey suggests. ind.pn/2KD8goW

The debt of listed UK companies has soared to a record 390.7 billion pounds after close to a decade of ultra-low interest rates, new research has found. ind.pn/2KxnZ91 ($1 = 0.7573 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Daniel Wallis)